The Art of Yang 100hr Yoga Teacher Training

Facilitated by Senior Teacher Grace Tempany, The Art of Yang is the second 100hr module in ISFYT’s 200hr Functional Yoga as Therapy YTT.

What is this “Yang” yoga all about?

If Yin is Stillness,

Yang is Movement.

We use the term ‘yang’ in this module title to refer globally to the assembly of practices that are included: hatha, vinyasa, Paul Grilley’s yang flows, myofascial release.

We first master stillness and somatic self-inquiry when we really lean into our yin practice and theory. When we have that down, we can move on to movement.

If yin is stillness, yang is movement.

At some point on the journey post yin-training, as long as teachers continue to practise and self-reflect, the realisation generally lands that functional yin facilitates not only greater freedom in teaching, but is a far more effective and highly therapeutic avenue towards instilling student self-empowerment. Then the next step is to consider the application to more yang practices.

The Art of Yang was designed with our students in mind. Interestingly, over the last year or so since the first Art of Yin graduates were certified, the feedback has been pretty unanimous to ISFYT Founder Grace Tempany; They’ve said “Grace, the yin is fine. Loving it. The issue is trying to extend my functional awareness beyond my yin teaching. I feel like I’m saying things in my hatha class that I would never say in my yin class…”

Problematic, right?

Enter The Art of Yang. Nobody can practise yin all the time. Nobody can teach yin all the time. The goal is to have some variety with your yoga asana practices, but to make functional yoga teaching and yoga therapy’s original intentions, the core underpinnings of them all.

Surrender with Yin, Empower with Yang

This comprehensive training is designed to meet the very real and contemporary needs of yoga practitioners and those who guide them. The Art of Yang brings you from master of yin yoga to master of all yoga. After we integrate the stillness it is time to apply the individually-tailored and therapeutic principles to movement.

Language is one the most essential, and all too often forgotten, components of effective teacher training. In The Art of Yang training, you will learn how to cue to the physical purpose of the pose, rather than a universally applied and prescribed shape appearance.

We will deconstruct all the ways our teaching language is inherently outcome rather than process focused, and replace it with a set of cues that are infinitely more effective is facilitating greater feeling, self-awareness and integration. 

Upon completion of this training, all graduates will feel not only more comfortable but more empowered and self-assured in their capacity to facilitate effectively individually-tailored and therapeutic yoga practices.

You are only as effective as your ability to guide to sensation.

Question Time

  1. How do I take my Art of Yin knowledge and skills and apply them to hatha, vinyasa, myofascial release?

  2. How do I take what I understand about skeletal variation and individual difference, and make the functional purpose of the pose the bedrock of all my teaching; yin & yang, stillness & movement?

    If the above two questions have arisen in your mind, then The Art of Yang is for you.

The Art of Yang brings you from master of yin yoga to master of all yoga. 

The Art of Yang Curriculum

Part I: Functional Yoga

  • Philosophy

    The Functional Yoga as Therapy Approach

    Defining the Territory

    Paul Grilley’s Functional Yoga Sutras 1&2 and Krishnamacharya’s Catering to the Individual

  • Physical Layer: Anatomy

    14-10-7 Model extended

    Skeletal variation

    Compression Tests

  • Physical Layer: Asana Lab

    Bishnu Ghosh’s 26&2 (Bikram Hatha Yoga Sequence)

    Additional Hatha Poses: Self-Practice

    Surya Namaskar

    Paul Grilley’s 2 Yang Archetypes extended & developed

  • Energetic Layer: Subtle Body & Applied Practices

    Pranayama

    Nadi Shodhana

    Breath Retentions

    Kapalbhati

    Bandhas

  • Practicum & Teaching Skills Masterclasses

    Goniometer ROM Assessments

    Deconstruction of Traditional Alignment Cues

    Reconstruction of Functional Bias

    Sequencing ‘functional style’

    Teaching Practice: Group

  • Somatic Inquiry & Integration

    Issues in the Tissues: A big picture view.

    Somatic Layering as an Art Form - Guiding Interoception from the gross to the subtle.

Part II: as Therapy

  • Philosophy

    Yoga Therapy’s History & Evolution

    From Krishnamacharya to Paul Grilley’s Functional Sutra 3

  • Physical Layer: Anatomy

    Muscle Groups & Target Areas

    Upper Body Muscle Deep Dive & Joint ROMs

    Layering Anatomy Trains and Myofascial Meridians

  • Physical Layer: Asana Lab

    Paul Grilley’s Yang Flows

    Dr. Motoyama’s Warm-ups

    Myofascial Release (MFR)

    Acupressure 

  • Energetic Layer: Subtle Body & Applied Practices

    Chakras

    Chakra Meditation

    Koshas / 3 Levels of Functional Awareness

  • Practicum & Teaching Skills Masterclasses

    Teaching Practice: 1:1

    Sequencing Yang-Yin

  • Somatic Inquiry & Integration

    iRest Yoga Nidra: Alchemy & Integration

"This training will transform how you teach yoga to your students. The depth of knowledge which is covered in this course far exceeded my expectations, and I now teach my classes, both yin and yang, from a more functional and inclusive point of view"

— Edward Hogan, The Art of Yin Graduate, 2022

Is the Art of Yang Teacher Training for you?

Absolutely yes, if:

  • You have completed the 100hr Art of Yin training with Grace, and neither your practice nor your teaching have been the same since,

  • You are a curious being who values ongoing learning opportunities,

  • You connected deeply with the functional teachings of Paul Grilley presented within The Art of Yin,

  • And now, you wonder how this all can be applied to hatha, vinyasa, myofascial release, Qi Gong inspired Yang Flows, and more,

  • You are drawn to the practice of yoga nidrā and would also like gain valuable insights as to its inclusion in a model of integration,

  • You are continuing to learn, realise, and remember the importance of your personal practice, and relish the opportunity to explore individually-tailored and therapeutic principles within it,

  • You value the depth and breadth of Grace’s experience, her ongoing commitment to her own learning, and the range of teachers and influences she brings to you,

  • You would like to improve your teaching language, and are looking forward to refining your verbal cues to feeling over form,

  • You are fascinated by the overlap between yoga therapy and functional yoga worlds, and are excited to develop your practice, theory and skills, to ensure that your students experience ‘yoga therapy’ in your guiding presence,

  • You wish to be more self-empowered and liberated from the confines of an excessively rigid alignment-based teaching framework. You know that functional, feeling-based practice and teaching is where all connection - with self, and with others - is birthed. And you are inspired to be part of the community of like-minded students and teachers within The International School of Yoga Therapy, where functional yoga reaches the next level.

This comprehensive training is designed to meet the very real and contemporary needs of yoga practitioners and those who guide them.

Globally Recognised Teaching Certification

Upon completion of this training:

  • You will be fully qualified to teach Functional Yoga as Therapy 200hrs. Many yoga studios require a minimum training of 200hrs so you will have the option to teach in yoga studios globally.

  • You will receive an international badge and certificate of excellence from ISFYT for 200hrs.

  • You will be eligible to apply for accreditation with Yoga Alliance Professionals, who provide membership and insurance for £148 per annum.

About Yoga Alliance Professionals:

Yoga Alliance Professionals are a UK-based independent professional body for Yoga Trainers and Teachers globally. Choosing the right Teacher Training Course is a big decision. To help give you peace of mind, ISFYT Trainers have TrainerPro level, a new and prestigious category within Yoga Alliance Professionals.

Being a TrainerPro verifies that:

  • ISFYT’s Training Courses meet the highest standards.

  • A fully qualified Senior Teacher (minimum 8 years experience) leads the Trainings.

  • Graduates receive a globally recognised teaching certification.

About ISFYT Founder

Grace Tempany is a Senior Teacher with Yoga Alliance Professionals, a Trainer Pro and Mentor, specialised in yin, functional yoga, and trauma-informed somatic practices. As a trainee psychotherapist, her lens is inherently person-centred. As a former secondary school teacher, the art of teaching has been her bedrock.

Her teaching is built on the foundation of inclusion. Since she started teaching yoga ten years ago, she has dedicated her practice, research and teaching to providing the most accessible space for everybody to practise being in their bodies, and learn to gain a deeper connection with themselves, their truth, their voice and their own unique and personal journey.

She marries pedagogical expertise, lived and felt experience as knowledge, and the most up-to-date research from the yoga, education, and therapy worlds.

She created her own school of yoga because she believes in a deeper and more well-rounded yoga education. She knows that deep thinkers and old souls looking for retreats are yearning for more depth and integration opportunities. And she listened to to the soul whispers nudging her to create a home for many others out there who have yet to find theirs within the yoga community.

In 2023 ISFYT: The International School of Functional Yoga Teachers was born. In the making for at least the last 3 years, it will no doubt continue to evolve for many years to come.

 FAQs

  • There are two ways to do The Art of Yang; as a 100hr training if you have completed The Art of Yin, or by signing up to the full 200hr Functional Yoga as Therapy training which comprises both The Art of yin, and The Art of Yang.

  • You will be provided with a manual, verbal cues, and a clear functional guide for the yang practices that we are looking at. Should you want to do some extra reading in preparation, I can recommend the following. The first 2 on the list would be a good place to start. The last three are dense, and I will present the essentials to you, so only dive in if the desire is strong! :-)

    • Yin Yoga: Principles and Practice by Paul Grilley

    • Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice, by Mark Singleton

    • Your Body, Your Yoga, Bernie Clark.

    • Your Spine, Your Yoga, Bernie Clark.

    • Your Upper Body, Your Yoga, Bernie Clark.

  • We can say that functional yoga and yoga therapy have the same roots - Krishnamacharya’s “teach what is appropriate to the individual” is what inspired the branch of study known as yoga therapy today. However, as a field, yoga therapy has I think become very focused on the physiological.

    ISFYT has at its vision aspires to bring the emotional and psychological more to the fore. We speak a lot in yoga about transformation, but we cannot change anything we do not first accept. Self-inquiry and inner work are cornerstones of this training. You are supported to engage in your own personal journey as you embark on and proceed through the training.

    Please note that this training is in no way a replacement for personal therapy, but I can say with certainty that it is a hugely complementary somatic addition.

  • The anatomy you are taught is functional and target area focused. Essentially, it is variable. You will learn that we are not all carbon copies skeletally. The approach to the teaching of anatomy can be summed up by Paul Grilley:

    “When you learn to see the body as 14 skeletal segments. being moved by 10 myofascial groups, you will be able to skillfully adapt the 7 archetypal poses to suit the skeletability and flexibility of each individual student”

    This is to say that the anatomy you learn immediately serves a purpose. There is no learning for learning's sake. Every single joint, bone, muscle, or myofascial group we look at is applied to poses, be they within the yin or yang practices.

  • The yin module is ‘assessed’ through teaching practice and a final 2 page report on an aspect of the training that resonated deeply with you personally. The yang module is more applied skills focused, but it will still have a small assessment piece TBC - mostly the assessment is conducted through practical components which naturally flow through the training; ie, your teaching practice.

  • A lot comes down to your skillset, and language is by far the most important of these teaching skills. We can never know for sure what our students are experiencing, but we can help them become empowered practitioners with our cues to feeling and excellent questions. This is why language is a central focus in both The Art of Yin and The Art of Yang.

  • Yes. The school and its trainings are accredited with Yoga Alliance Professionals. You can register with them as a 200hour RYT upon completion of the training, and then once insured you can start teaching.

  • To be a functional teacher is to teach to feeling, with the experience of each individual at the centre of the teaching, and to teach through a therapeutic and trauma-aware lens. To be a functional teacher is to embrace your personal practice as your own greatest teacher, and to confidently yet humbly guide your students to connect on a much deeper level with themselves and those around them.

  • It’s an excellent start. It will offer you a firm foundation in practising and teaching both stillness and movement through a feeling-based lens. It is a sound foundation upon which you will continue to build.

  • This 200hour is functional first and foremost. “If you’re feeling it, you’re doing it” - everything taught can be distilled to this. Functional Teaching means teaching to the individual, teaching to feeling over form. This can be a departure from most rigid, universal alignment teachings, but nearly all students resonate hugely with this approach within their own experience, and speak to feeling much more confident in their teaching post-training.

  • No. This teacher training is its own entity. However, should you already have completed the 100hour Art of Yin training with me, you are welcome to complete the 100hour Art of Yang module in order to gain the 200hour Functional Yoga as Therapy YTT certification.

Booking Information